Having grown up with the Chicago-style hard ball politics recently exemplified this past week by the attacks on Romney’s Bain years and demands for his tax returns, I have to admit that David Axelrod is one heck of a strategist.  The entire point of the campaign is to demonize Romney as the rich, out of touch, Wall Street capitalist who just also happens to be a tax dodger, a potential felon for lying about his years at Bain, and meany who outsourced American jobs to China and Europe.  Will voters buy that picture?  With twenty four million Americans out of work, and millions more just trying to keep their financial heads above water, this Bain-bashing class warfare, haves vs. have-nots, may have the intended psychological effect

At this point in time, my stomach is churning.  The Obama re-election campaign is launching a full-scale offensive replete with character assassination  and demonization of Romney’s business record.  They’re trying to define Romney because as we know, they can’t run on Obama’s record.  Meanwhile, the Romney campaign’s counter-punch is a request for an apology.  I could describe this as the Marquess of Queensbury meets Al Capone. If Romney loses the election this year, people will point to this past week as the starting point.

Romney and his campaign don’t have to answer every charge leveled against them, but you would think that since the man knew he would be running for President in 2012 the day after he dropped out of the race in 2008, he would be better prepared to answer questions about his years at Bain Capital, and ensure that his tax returns were in order.  I do believe that the majority of the American people do not care if Romney is wealthy, but they do want to better understand what he did to create that wealth, and more importantly, what his vision is for America, its future, and how he’s going to make that vision a reality for the American people.

The Obama campaign is just starting to show its hard-knuckle style of politics with the media is already gleefully pointing out that Romney is being “swift-boated.”  If Romney’s background is fair game, then I say so is the President’s.

With 113 days left before Election Day, this election will be won on more than it’s a bad economy and jobs.  Mitt, how sincere are you in wanting to rebuild America and how are you going to do it?  And this election, are you in it to win it?

MITT, WHAT ARE YOU PREPARED TO DO?

Cross-posted at www.political-woman.com